Eerie Stories from the Middle of Nowhere

Creepy Sh#t Part 10 – Longview’s Burning

Fire is, and always has been, fascinating. It scares us as much as it serves us. When fires rage out of control, we can be reduced to an almost powerless state.

I think that the unpredictability and power of fire is one of the reasons that the crime of arson is so heinous. In 2016 alone, 17 potential cases of arson have occurred in Longview, with 13 of them occurring in the span of just a few weeks. There’s a chance that these fires are tied to a local gang and that association takes the case much deeper.

A map of the earliest fires of 2016, some just a few streets apart from one another.

Some gang members are associated with a local record label which released a viral music video, while members of the gang were being picked up for weapons violations.

How deep does this connection go? What is the reason behind all these fires?

Sharing a town with firebugs can be a frightening thing. Tune in to learn more about these unsolved arson cases.

UPDATE 21 September 2016: On August 26, the Longview News-Journal released a very brief article online stating that “several suspects” had been arrested in connection with arson incidents in Longview. No suspects were named and the article stated that law enforcement officials were investigating suspects who were already jailed on other charges. In addition, the police department is waiting on several grand jury indictments to be returned before proceeding. The Longview Fire Marshal claimed that tips from local residents assisted in the investigation. The article did not specify which cases of arson were associated with the suspects but it’s still early in the investigation. I’ll post more updates as I find them.